The plan for the 2005 Virginia field hockey campaign did not include anything about going winless against the ACC or dropping the final five games of the regular season. But with the ACC Tournament beginning Thursday, the Cavaliers have a final opportunity to make up for what has been a disappointing season to date.
Virginia (8-10) will take on the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils, a team that handled the Cavaliers this past Sunday, 4-0. If Virginia is able to defeat Duke, No. 3 Maryland awaits in the semifinal round.
Despite a poor showing against Duke in the regular season, Virginia coach Jess Wilk said she is confident that the team will be able to make the necessary adjustments to hang a win on Duke.
"We're going to focus on some of our execution mistakes from Sunday," Wilk said. "We may change things up a bit tactically. Bottom line is we're just looking for a better performance. They're a great team, but I believe very strongly in our team."
Duke's forwards are among the best in the country, but the Cavaliers believe that they hold an advantage when it comes to the matchup between Duke's defenders and Virginia's forwards.
"They have really good forwards, but so do we," Allie Flynn said. "Their backfield is not as strong as other ACC teams. I really think once we can get past their midfield, we definitely should be able to put the ball in, if we can get people up there."
Attacking the goal with consistency has been a major "if" for the Cavaliers all season long. The team has struggled to generate short corners and also to finish the ones they do earn. Against the No. 1 scoring offense in the country though, Virginia will need to produce a strong offensive attack to stay in the game.
Offensive consistency "is something we're going to work on and really commit to building our attack with numbers," Wilk said. "Obviously, that's an area that needs some attention after Sunday. It's something that I think we can do and do well; we just didn't do so well on Sunday."
Senior Sarah Miller remains questionable for the game. The midfielder sprained her ankle against Wake Forest Oct. 22, and it will be a game-time decision regarding whether or not she can play.
Virginia is led by senior Katie Phillips, who is 11th all-time on Virginia's career goals list. The Fort Worth, Tex. native has notched 11 goals on the year, good for sixth place on the ACC leaderboard.
On the other end of the field is superstar goalie Katherine Blair. The redshirt junior is among the ACC leaders in total saves and has kept the Cavaliers close in several games.
"She's been tremendously consistent for us all year long," Wilk said. "She's kept us in the game, she's made spectacular saves when she needed to, and I can't say enough good things about her in terms of her ability, her work ethic and her ability to control a game back there."
At the end of a long season, players are tired both physically and mentally. But as the Cavaliers prepare for the Tournament, nobody will be thinking about the aches and pains that they have.
"The ACC always sparks something in people," Flynn said. "So, hopefully it's enough to put us on the right side of the scoreboard."
Read More
With last-second three-pointer, SMU silences men’s basketball
By Michael Liebermann and Thomas Baxter | 4 hours agoThe late shot crushed a bouncing arena.
With dominance and high hopes, women’s tennis opens the spring season
By Gracie Genereux | 5 hours agoA commanding opening victory set the stage for the season to come.
No. 6 women’s squash falls to No. 5 Stanford in first match of the new year
By Peter Kratz | YesterdayThe Cavaliers fall to 0-1 in conference play after their first clash with the Cardinal.
